As the first female member of the royal family to “stand guard” during the Vigil of the Princes, a long-standing royal mourning custom, Princess Anne has made royal history.
At St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday, the Princess Royal, 72, sat by the Queen’s coffin at 7.20 p.m. with her brothers Prince Edward and Prince Andrew and the newly crowned King Charles III. In honor of her deceased mother, who passed away last Thursday at the age of 96, Anne was immaculately attired in her military uniform.
Princess Anne wore the same ceremonial outfit from the Royal Navy that she had on earlier in the day when the Queen’s casket was being carried through Edinburgh.
The Princess is the only female member of the royal family to wear her uniform at official events. She is also the patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Commodore-in-Chief for Portsmouth.
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She is an honorary Rear Admiral even though, unlike her brothers King Charles and Prince Andrew, she hasn’t actually served in the military.
She regularly tops the list of the hardest working royals and completes hundreds of engagements annually with her military patronages and affiliations.
Since King George V’s passing in 1936, the tradition of the Vigil of the Princes has been observed. It was last performed in 2002 during the Queen Mother’s funeral.
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The late Queen will spend a full day lying in state at St. Giles Cathedral. The Queen’s coffin will be on display at the cathedral for the public to view starting at 5 p.m. for a 24-hour period.
Princess Anne will travel with the Queen’s casket on Tuesday as it is transported from RAF Northolt to London by RAF aircraft. The Bow Room of Buckingham Palace will then be the final resting place for the coffin.
